NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Centre to allow Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers who were excluded from the privilege on the ground of fitness standards saying that the evaluation process was “arbitrary and irrational”.
The apex court directed the Army to reconsider the pleas of around 650 women officers within a month and agreed that the women officers have to meet the general physical standards.
Petitions filed by women officers for permanent commission in the Indian Army and Navy sought contempt proceedings against those who had allegedly failed in their duty to comply with SC’s judgement last year allowing the permanent commission to women officers.
“We allow these petitions with a number of directions. Officers will be considered for permanent commission subject to disciplinary and vigilance clearance,” said the court.
A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and M R Shah said that women officers were given symbolic equality and said that shape-1 medical criteria cannot be applied to the women officers 10 years later.
“A career in the army comes with many trials. It becomes more difficult when society puts the responsibility of childcare and domestic work on women,”observed the court saying women’s fitness level 10 years ago should be taken into account to grant PC.
Criticizing the Army for indirectly discriminating against women short service commission (SSC) officers to deny them a permanent commission, the court said even women officers who brought laurels for the country in different fields have been ignored for grant of PC.
Justice Chandrachud said the ceiling of 250 has not been crossed till 2010. The statistics which have been placed on record completely demolish the case of benchmarking.